


Spirit Seals and Knowledge Gleaned

by GravelessUniverse



Category: Infinite Magic Glories: Impact Mosaic
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:48:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23921830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GravelessUniverse/pseuds/GravelessUniverse
Summary: Describing feelings following the events of rIMG, with approval for other character's reactions.





	Spirit Seals and Knowledge Gleaned

Forum: Matalorn (Congregants only)  
User: wanderingminstrel  
Posted: Tuesday, May 28 at 4:35 p.m.  
Subject: The Sky

So, umm, I just woke up and holy shit!

Any of you painters need to get on this while it lasts.

User: lancel0t  
Posted: Tuesday, May 28 at 7:29 p.m.  
Subject: The Sky

Is it another void storm? Please tell me it isn’t another void storm.

User: wanderingminstrel  
Posted: Tuesday, May 28 at 8:12 p.m.  
Subject: re: Errantry 2nite!

Dude, you’re going to lose your mind when you see this.

>>>

Princess Bonaventure’s jacket rippled as she descended from the void, the infinite blackness falling away into a white expanse. The Shining Realms were the only place left to search.

It had been four days since the battle against the Void God, four days where no one had heard from Princess Matalorn. She’d vanished as soon as they knew the fight was over, sparing just enough time to use her healing magic on those who fell. In order to fight, she’d performed the Spirit Seal and locked away the most important parts of her soul until it wore off. Most of the others who had were still themselves, more or less, but Matalorn would never leave like that.

The white light resolved into shapes, great pine trees with bright green needles. A soft breeze blew through the forest, wafting the smells of the trees to her. It had barely a whiff of the void’s influence. Brilliant rays of light penetrated the canopy, revealing a deep blue sky, no grey clouds in sight. It was the healthiest forest she’d ever seen… It was also the spookiest. 

Matalorn, the realm, was never this healthy because Matalorn, the Princess, had been too distracted by being a premed to properly take care of it. A week ago, no one could tell where the sun was thanks ot the grey clouds. Hell, this was healthier than most realms whose Princess had a consort helping her. 

The needles crunched under her boots as she walked deeper into the realm. Silver motes of light sparkled in the fog that rolled along the path. A pure white stag burst from deeper in the forest. She gripped her staff tighter, pulse hard enough to be felt in her fingertips. A beautiful and well taken care of realm should not be this concerning. 

A hunter followed behind the stag, eyes so focused on its tracks that they passed over her. His fingers halted just before they touched his crossbow, eyes wide. With a short bow, he said, “Your Highness, my apologies, we were not expecting a visit from forgein royalty on this glorious day.”

“Yeah,” she said, “Is Matalorn here right now?”

“Her Highness has called every able knight to Cairn Rial within the hour. A camp has been made at the base of the peak.” 

“Gotcha.” She kicked off of the ground, hovering in place. “Which way is that?”

The hunter pointed off in a direction. “Five leagues as the crow flies.”

“Thanks…” Because she knew what a league was. Either way, there were probably a lot of tents to look for. “Good luck on your hunt.”

>>>

Forum: Matalorn (Announcements)  
User: Princess Matalorn  
Posted: Wednesday, May 29 at 10:03 a.m.  
Subject: Known Void Terrors

Attention all knights of Matalorn. I can not thank you enough for your dedication when facing off against the void terrors. With your lances, we can eradicate the threats to Matalorn.

You can find a spreadsheet detailing the location of known void terrors here.

The second page is open to public editing, please report any new sightings there.

The third is the route I will be taking to destroy them. Any who wish to join the battle should assemble at the listed locations.

Thank you,  
Princess Matalorn

User: roundtablesarelargeandsomewhatcumbersome  
Posted: Wednesday, May 29 at 10:12 a.m.  
Subject: Known Void Terrors

Lol. Good troll. 

Someone better tell the Princess that her account’s been hacked before someone falls for this shit.

User: manofmanyscarves  
Posted: Wednesday, May 29 at 10:24 a.m.  
Subject: Known Void Terrors

Why would this be a troll?

I, for one, believe in our Princess and will gladly join her quest.

User: roundtablesarelargeandsomewhatcumbersome  
Posted: Wednesday, May 29 at 10:36 a.m.  
Subject: Known Void Terrors

Have you met our Princess? 

User: roundtablesarelargeandsomewhatcumbersome  
Posted: Thursday, May 30 at 7:12 a.m.  
Subject: Known Void Terrors

Holy fucking shit. I thought she was going to med school, not OTS.

>>>

The camp was just a huge tent surrounded by a crowd of knights. Bonaventure flew straight to the wide open entrance. Magical torches were held up on the posts, illuminating so many tables and maps that it would be hard for most people to move around. Scouts ran in and out, shouting about where the Void Terrors were moving. From the center of the tent, their Princess nodded, moving figures on her maps with magic. 

That was Matalorn alright. The water princess who spent more time studying medicine than working magic. Giving orders to squads of scouts and knight, leading what looked like a war against the void, was about as forgein to Matalorn as even being in her realm.

But…

“Bonaventure, it’s nice to see you.” Matalorn looked her way for a moment, just long enough to meet her eyes before returning to the map. “If you have some time, your help would let us clear this whole region today and move up the next advance.”

“Hey, Matalorn,” Bonaventure paused for a moment, watching as Matalorn split her attention between listening to the reports and rearranging the board. “Umm, I’m glad you’re taking all of this seriously now, but people’re getting worried.”

“I should be able to rejoin patrols in about a week’s time. I’m certain that Kennedy, Ronald, and you will be able to keep Boston safe until then.”

“That’s not it! We’re worried about you!”

“That doesn’t make any sense.” Hard eyes turned toward her. That expression only appeared once before, in the depth of the Frost War. It was how Matalorn looked when she described her plan to save Boston from the Void, sicking the terrors on a Shining Realm. “The first duty of a Princess is to her Realm, the second is to fight magical threats on Earth. These were your own words,.”

“Yeah, but… We’re your friends! You’ve been gone for days, without contacting anyone, and- Shit… Fuck!” Bonaventure swore as everything hit her like a goddamn train. Matalorn’s absence, taking command over her congregants, the way her realm looked so much better. She’d known what Matalorn cared about most this whole time; the other Princess had almost broken down about the struggle of balancing her dreams in life and taking care of her realm, of being her own person beyond just her magic.

The person Bonventure was talking to wasn’t Alison Roth, this was Princess Matalorn. A girl who had sealed away every aspect of herself besides that duty. Her compassion and mundane distractions were gone, leaving only the commander who had paid more attention to her map of Boston during the height of war than her own boyfriend. For… however long it would take the Spirit Seal to break… assuming it ever did.

Matalorn glanced at her phone. “You have thirty seconds to decide. I need to move out soon to keep on schedule.” She left the tent, commands for her congregants already leaving her lips.

Bonaventure gripped her staff harder, whispering under her breath. “Roth.”

~~~

Forum: Realms General  
User: always_running  
Posted: Wednesday, June 3 at 7:35 a.m.  
Subject: Curse???

I’m pretty sure everyone’s heard the announcement about the curse afflicting a bunch of Princesses and Knights by now. 

I honestly haven’t noticed too many changes, but I’m sure they’re there. 

What sorts of things are happening in the other realms?

User: charge_of_the_lance_brigade  
Posted: Wednesday, June 3 at 9:20 a.m.  
Subject: Curse???

It’s like night and day here. 

If the Princess didn’t look the same, I’d swear that she’s a completely different person.

…

People can’t fake that... right?

~~~

Six hundred and fifty five unread messages; the number bored into her mind, a perfect example for how much had gone wrong in just two weeks. 

Fourteen had been from her parents, one every morning. They’d always worried about their little girl fighting and finding out that she wasn’t responding to them because she’d been “stricken by a terrible curse” had done nothing to calm them, especially when her magical activities had already forced her to pull out of the semester. 

That response had been the easiest: let them know she was better, schedule a time to come home for dinner, and explain that she had a plan for handling school. The details still needed further work, but she had a basic concept and it would be ready for Saturday, when mom would want to know specifics. 

Regarding school, her advisor’s pair of messages were also easy to respond to. Reassurance that she would be enrolling and a question about business management courses that she currently qualified for. 

The rest though...

Alison Roth held her head in her hands and sighed. The vast majority came from either her congregants or the City of Boston. A fair number were from other members of the magical community, but none from the person she’d been hoping for. 

The Celtic sword pin that she’d bought as soon as she they were official glinted on her desk. 

It wasn’t fair to want Millard to have contacted her, not right now. The Spirit Seal had only just worn off on her and she knew for a fact that he’d sealed away his feelings for her. The magic would likely not fade at an equal rate for everyone and, for all she knew, he was either sleeping or in the middle of an important experiment… but… She checked her phone again. There were no new calls or messages.

On the other hand, talking again would be… different. His feelings for her were his most precious treasure. It was absolute proof about how much he cared. Which… on one hand, it was more flattering and wonderful than anything else she could think of... but on the other hand… What could she say to him knowing this? ‘I love you too’ felt so empty by comparison.

Alison pushed herself away from her computer, narrowly avoiding the barrel that took up half of the room, and walked to the kitchen. Walked, not flew. There had been more than enough continuous transformation for… a while. As she put some water on, she looked over the most recent map of Matalorn. The remaining clusters of Void Terrors had been marked with several different routes crossing over each. Each was a different pattern depending on whether the person moving was on foot, mounted, or flying. 

Several other maps were splayed out, different concepts, along with a duffel bag full of paper. Making photocopies of the plan and carrying them in for distribution was much easier than trying to explain it over and over. Modern paper may not look appropriate in her realm, because it wasn’t, but she would happily sacrifice the aesthetic on the altar of practicality every time. Otherwise, the hours of planning would turn into literal days. 

The amount of focus she had on fighting would need to break at some point. It was too much for her to keep this pace up, once other distractions appeared, even if it also proved one of her theories. And, while her congregants were used to fighting the void, they should be able to enjoy their dreams too. Defense of Matalorn was, in the end, her responsibility. One she’d shirked for far too long. 

Hopefully the other Bostonians would be able to help, just like they’d discussed. It would be a tough year, but only a year. That was all. The consequence of the choices during the party. 

It felt like a lifetime ago and also like yesterday. 

There were so many apologies Alison needed to make. Even considering the Spirit Seal, the way she’d acted was unconscionable.

_A cold calm settled into her mind. Her tears were pointless when she had a duty to fulfill. A greater monster than any other had arisen and Princess Matalorn needed to destroy it before it could threaten her realm. One by one, she took account of the others present, considering the battles she’d watched. Some would be more beneficial going after different targets. But, too many seemed to be retreating. Were they going to shirk their responsibility?!_

The kettle began whistling. 

Alison poured herself a cup of tea, gripping the handle a bit too tight. She had been so angry then. She’d just given up herself, her entire identity and being. They had been hesitating because of something as small as love? “What was the love for one person compared to a life or a realm?”

It hadn’t right to be mad. The magic targeted what you most cared about and those feelings were as deeply held as her own… As Millard’s... But, at the time, she didn’t care, she couldn’t care. She’d yelled at them, her friends. She’d yelled at _Julia_ , someone who’d taken so much on herself already, about not being willing to do more!

Alison held her eyes shut as tightly as she could. 

That one should be a phone call at the very least. It would be better to fly back and explain in person, but there was so much left to do that only she could-

_A beautiful mask, a vision of what could be._

_All her power comes from her own strength of spirit, and from the vast breadth of her knowledge; she needs no one’s approval, and no one’s support, to work her wonders._

Allison shook her head, banishing the vision. 

She had rid herself of the demiurge’s magic, but it didn’t change the dream. To be capable of handling everything without help, would be… Lonely and foolish. The offer of its power was not a lie, which had made the temptation so much greater, but it would have been a mistake to accept. There were people who cared about her and her ideas, people who had confirmed that they would stand with her to make the future brighter for everyone.

Her eyes drifted to the pictures on the refrigerator, the ones of her friends from the magical community. The first was one of her and Millard, skating on the surface of a lake with shimmering mist surrounding them. The second, all of the Princesses of Boston, with her in the center, holding the grail. Another from that night, with everyone close to passing out on Suzanna’s couch. Back when they had all been friends... before the war… Before so many of them had killed… Before she had...

_Water whipped from her hand, striking in time with Millard’s blade and Rillian’s fist. The Demiurge’s magic faded away… His body hit the ground with a soft thump._

_She reached for her boyfriend's hand, hoping that it would return warmth to her own._

“I’ve made peace with that,” She muttered to herself. Protecting people meant that she would have to kill Demiurges and… Princesses or Knights, if it came down to that. There was no other way to stop them if they were unwilling to accept other punishments or restrictions. 

That was another call she needed to make, though one that should be easier. Bonaventure had checked in on her when she had problems. 

_Two bodies on the ground, one without any life, her throat cut open. The other still clinging to it._

_With a wave of her hand, Princess Matalorn healed the fallen Princess. Then, her duty done, she left._

Killing a Demiurge had hit both her and Millard hard, even though they knew it had to happen. For someone who believed so much in the importance of Shining Realms to kill a Princess… Even if Alison was sure that Kennedy would be better at helping Bonaventure, she still needed to make the offer to talk and also thank her for checking in.

That, at least, could be done in person.

God, one thing they all could use was a real therapist. Finding one who could manage all of the strangeness that came with magic would be a challenge. Maybe someone who dealt with soldiers or police would be best. 

Alison jotted good mental health care down on the ever growing list of things she would need to create her foundation. There were so many people that she needed to talk to for that plan, but it could wait. There were three who were more important to call first. 

One to apologize, one to thank, and one… that she still didn’t know what to say to. Though, maybe that was alright. 

After a moment, she held her phone to her ear, waiting for the ringing to stop. “Hey, it’s Alison. The Spirit Seal wore of and…”


End file.
